westiemum

Amazing thread - and here's my littlest westie Andy - who had his 'gotcha' day yesterday - 4 years yesterday since he left the shocking Freedom Kennels (no idea when his real birthday is or really how old he is - maybe 6-8?). His transformation to this lovely smiley boy is amazing compared with the frightened, never been in a house, car, eaten out of a bowl little man who arrived here for rehoming on 25/01/2009 - and of course never left! Fabulous photo taken by Snook - click to enlarge tp get the full effect of her great photo!

Wow! Just superb!

Yep it sure is tricky. I have a very itchy girl westie here - I feel like I've tried everything - Atopica included - yet its definitely worse when the grass is growing in the back yard. The back yard is a dust bowl at the moment and she's not scratching as badly (although she still is a bit). So I don't have the answer - except to say that hyrazole from the chemist helps, as does grain free food and limiting her contact with grass.

Jelly I think it was dogmad who mentioned Chinese herbs? Just mentioning it again so the suggestion doesn't get lost . I use Herb Robert with my dementing old Westie and I'm convinced its a big part of why he's doing so well. So do try them - its a cheap easy solution which just might work. And I'm sure dogmad would give you some advice on what and how.

How are you going Kirty?

Yes thanks Sheridan - I think the cholodin is making a difference for Mac - he's a much more 'smiley' old boy and seems to be doing very well on it.

Thanks for that addition, westie. I'd never thought of that. Yep Mita, I think a little prevention and/or early intervention is relatively inexpensive and can go a long way in older dogs. I've been doing it for some years now for my crew and I like the peace of mind. :)

What about the game one? Anyone know the protein source?

Good summary Mita :). The only things I'd add are yearly bloods after age 10 or 11 to hopefully pick up any problems early, sensible supplementation ( eg cholodin ), and as much fun and new experiences as possible to keep them happy and interested in their surroundings. :)

Happy birthday lovely girl! You are one stunning lady! :)

Mum to Shelley I've had my Westie girl who is very prone to the itchies and scratching on it for the sat week - and so far so good. :) minimal scratching ( we're all sleeping better) , good poo and seems to really like it too. Will be interesting to see if it continues... :)

OK - as an experiment Sarah has been having 1/4 cup of VIP Grain free twice a day for a week as of today - and so far so good. She's not scratching as much, poo is good, wolfs it down... How are others finding it? I'll report back again in a couple of days or if there is any change. :)

My last and littlest Westie had a terrible name from the puppy farm which he didn't know anyway - so I changed it to 'Andy'. ANDREW!!!!! When I'm cross with him... :laugh:

A friend I worked with in the 90's had a cat called ''Mark'. I loved it so when I got a cat in 2006 I named him Mark too - Russian Blue cross and it really suited him - or so I thought. Other people thought it was a bit strange - yet I still love it! :)

Will still check the bag when I get home tonight - cant be too careful with my old Westie - although he does seem to have an absolutely cast iron stomach! :laugh:

This. And for this reason I'm very wary of 100% dry food diets. Historically dogs ate non-processed wet foods. On the rare occasions my guys get dry food it's always floating in a good dose of water. Never on its own. Like us, dogs get a lot of their moisture and hydration from their food - so IMO unless it contains moisture then you are potentially setting yourself up for problems down the track. And before anyone screams, I know others disagree - and you're welcome to. :) I happen to believe that this is THE sleeper issue in dog nutrition and I'd prefer we don't look back with great regret later on. Water doesn't hurt! There is some research suggesting that adding water to dry foods that contain Ascorbic Acid may increase the risk of bloat in some dogs. Whilst nothing around bloat (gastric torsion) is carved in stone, I personally would check the ingredients prior to adding water. Sags Thanks for that Sags. Hadn't heard that before. :)

This. And for this reason I'm very wary of 100% dry food diets. Historically dogs ate non-processed wet foods. On the rare occasions my guys get dry food it's always floating in a good dose of water. Never on its own. Like us, dogs get a lot of their moisture and hydration from their food - so IMO unless it contains moisture then you are potentially setting yourself up for problems down the track. And before anyone screams, I know others disagree - and you're welcome to. :) I happen to believe that this is THE sleeper issue in dog nutrition and I'd prefer we don't look back with great regret later on. Water doesn't hurt!

If your young healthy dog did have an underlying kidney or liver problem, that at this stage was causing no symptoms or any aberration from optimal physical condition, according to the observation and physical examination of an experienced veterinarian, then it is dubious whether kidney and liver disorders at such an early stage would actually be dangerous with GA. Thats a big call to make...... A GA is always dangerous, and there are lots of factors - experience of the anaesthetist, the drugs they use, if they put up fluids. There are also plenty of conditions that dont have clinical symptoms but will show up on blood work. Yep agree with this one too. GAs are dangerous in people and never done without bloods so I figure what's good for me is good for my westies ( and my old cat who now lives with Mum!). As well as a pre-GA check, bloods also double as a general clinical check - so in a sense you get two for the price of one - so a good thing in my book. Mine always have fluids too - they seem happier post-op and they seem to recover so much better. I think I've posted about my old dementing westie boy's last GA for a dental before - he's 13 so I was very nervous - but the dental was necessary as he has few teeth left post-puppy farm so I need to preserve them as much as possible, not to mention all the other problems associated with bad teeth. Needless to say we ran pre-GA bloods, very careful light special GA for old dogs, quick as possible procedure, and plenty of fluids and he came out better on the 'grogginess scale' than the boy puppy who was in for desexing before him! Vet was brilliant.

This. I'm not overly risk adverse but I think the risks get higher as dogs age. So I would never GA my older dogs ( over 7 or 8) without pre - anaesthetic bloods. But possibly not for a younger dog - depends on their health and history and how you manage risk. I also run yearly blood checks for my two older westies as I figure its better to pick up anything early, possibly sub- clinically than wait until its obvious and I have a major problem on my hands. They are due again in July. :)

If you aren't showing I wouldn't use a whitening shampoo. They can be really tough on skin and coats. My westies are a lovely shade of brown at the moment cos the backyards a dust bowl. Doesn't worry me but if it did I'd use a dilute apple cider vinegar bath (diluted 1:5) to clean them up - good for skin and coat. Or Ernys calendula tea solution - some find that can leave a yellowish tinge where I've found the white coats come up well with it, and again, good for skin. :)

Well said Megan. Just because it didn't suit my guys doesn't mean others won't do really well on it. And I think it's fabulous that an Australian company is trying to make a high quality food locally. And no company in its right mind would do anything other than their best - their reputation and viability depends on it so to suggest anything else is ludicrous IMO.

He's absolutely adorable! Lucky you! I'd love an Aussie one day... :)

Sadly there's always one fault finder in every bunch... It's a great story with a viable template for other aged care facilities to follow. Congrats to GAP and the staff for thinking of everything to make sure its a success for Jacob and the ressies. I used to work at the organisation that runs this facility and I know it well. It's a beautiful new facility with carpets. Harry's Angel I suspect you haven't been in an aged care facility for a while. White floors? In the kitchens maybe... And that's a 'flimsy' reason for advocating a dog colour. And nowhere in the article did it say black dogs were excluded. They simply choose a dog of the safest colour for the ressies - as they are obligated to do under the Aged Care Act. There's a difference between choosing safety and active exclusion. And another grey finds a wonderful home with many sources of love... And you have to be pleased about that!! Go Jacob! :)

Thanks voloclydes - interesting food that I certainly haven't come across before. As you say although its whole grain I'd still be wary for my guys, my girl in particular. But I'm sure others will find it attractive at that price. :)

Hi all, Have heard back from PawsforLife - they plan to stock the Holistic Select Grain Free ' in the future' but not the near future - but will let me know when they do. Anyone have any luck anywhere else?